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John Rankine Smith

Obituary of the Rev John Rankine Smith, Church of Scotland minister; born March 17, 1917; died July 1, 2007.

The Reverend John Rankine Smith died at the age of 90 after a short time in hospital after a fall at home.

Rankine, as he was always known, was born in Kilmun on the Holy Loch, where his father was the minister. His childhood was spent there, in Dundee and in Glasgow, where he attended Glasgow Academy.

He went on to the University of Glasgow, where he took his MA, and then, following a family tradition going back for three generations, studied for the ministry, graduating as Bachelor of Divinity from Trinity College. During an attachment in Irvine, he met his wife-to-be, Helen Leiper, through her work as a Sunday School teacher.

In 1945 Rankine spent his probationary year at Govan Old Parish Church, under the guidance of George McLeod, founder of the Iona Community, with which Rankine continued to be associated throughout his ministry.

He was then appointed parish minister at Erskine Church, Kilwinning. Rankine and Helen married in the summer of 1946.

In 1953 Rankine was appointed to the ministry of Barmulloch, a Church Extension charge on a Glasgow post-war housing scheme. Services were held at first in a local school, until the new church was dedicated in December 1954. Rankine remained at Barmulloch until his retirement in 1982.

He was a conscientious, energetic and respected pastor, and started house groups long before these became widespread. He was also active in the wider affairs of the Church of Scotland.

Full story at The Herald.